BENTONG: Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the Pelangai district here will soon have its own Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) in order to assist with the development of the area.

Liow said with the RTC as a one-stop centre offering information on government services and youth training programmes will help advance the people and develop the area to be on par with the capital city.

"Simpang Pelangai needs its own RTC as the state will be receiving more traffic into the area by road users and we need to be ready," he said.

This is due to the fact that once the Central Spine Road (CSR), which connects Bentong and Kuala Krai in Kelantan opens, the district can expect a higher number of tourists as the CSR will be passing through Simpang Pelangai.

Liow, who is also Bentong MP, was speaking at a Hari Raya event at Kampung Syafie here.

"The development in transport services that is happening will aid the youth in Pahang to be able to find more jobs and the RTC will help them to be prepared," he said.

He also said that Bentong is a hotspot for tourism as it is filled with many attractions from hot springs to an abundance of orchards.

Currently, there is only one RTC in Pekan with another 21 mini RTCs around Pahang.

Apart from Kampung Syafie, Liow also visited Simpang Pelangai where he handed over RM120,000 in donation for the renovations of surau and mosques, town hall and road improvements in the area.